Clamping means for flaring tools or the like



April 25, 1950 e. E. FRANCK CLAMPING MEANS FOR FLARING TOOLS OR THE LIKE Filed Nbv. 18, 1946 IN V EN TOR. elzfiancb,

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CLAMPKNG MEANS FOR FLARING TOOLS OR THE LIKE George E. Franck, Riverside, Ill., assignor to The Imperial Brass Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application November 18, 1946, Serial No. 710,706

4 Claims.

The invention relates generally to tube clamping means for flaring tools or the like and more particularly to clamping means of the in line type.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a new and improved clamping means of the in line" type which may be more readily and economically manufactured and which gives a sturdy, trouble-free construction.

For a flared tube to 'form a fluid-tight connection with a fitting or coupling as well as to have the flare conform to the standards set up by the Society of Automotive Engineers, the flare given the tube must have certain dimensions which, of

course, vary with the diameter of the tube being 1 flared. To obtain a, flare of proper dimension, the tube must bear a certain relationship to the means in which it is clamped. Some users of a flaring tool through ignorance, many more through carelessness, do not clamp the tube in the proper relationship to the clamping means and a flare of improper dimension results.

It is, therefore, a further and primary object of this invention to provide new and improved tube clamping means constructed when properly utilized to assure the production of a flare of proper dimensions without any knowledge whatsoever on the part of the user of the dimensions that the flare should have.

A more particular object is to provide tube clamping means having associated therewith as a more or less permanent part thereof a gauge for determining the position of the tube to be flared in the clamping means.

As above stated, the invention relates to clamping means of the "in line type. It relates even more particularly to an in line clamping means of the character disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 667,386, filed May 4, 1946, and it is a further object ofthis invention to provide an improved clamping means of that type.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a tube clamping means embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an edge elevational view of the clamping means of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken approximately along line 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, it

2, is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described in a preferred embodiment. It is not intended, however, that the invention is to be limited thereby to the specific disclosures made. On the contrary,'it is intended to cover all modiflcations and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

As shown in the drawings for purposes of disclosure, the tube clamping means comprises generally a pair of elongated arms l0 and i I to permit the in line arrangement of tube receiving bores or recesses, the actual tube clamping or gripping means herein taking the form of a plurality of blocks. Means -l2- are provided for applying the longitudinal force for forcing the blocks to perform their tube clamping functions.

eferring to Fig. 1 the arms i0 and H are held in spaced parallel relationship by a spacing block it, to which the arms are riveted by rivet M. A plurality of sliding blocks I5 are mounted for sliding movement longitudinally of the arms, each block being providedwith a generally rectangular channel portion l6 adapted to receive the arms i0 and Ii. While thenumber of blocks shown is six, this is an arbitrary number and may be increased or decreased without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Each block 15 is generally rectangular in transverse section. The blocks are slidable longitudinally of the arms and the width of the channel it is, for that purpose, so dimensioned as to have a sliding fit on the legs 10 and H.

Not only are the blocks l5 all of the same lateral dimensions, but they are also all of the same dimensions longitudinally, which dimensions will be termed width of the blocks. This uniformity of the width of the blocks is made possible despite th variation in size of the bores in which the various sized tubes are clamped by means of the positioning and relative placement of the bores in the blocks. The bores receiving the various sized tubes are composed of semi-cylindrical and complementary recesses ll formed in abutting faces of adjacent blocks. While the recesses I! are generally referred to as semiwylindrical, they are actually very slightly out of round with the transverse diametric dimensions of the resulting bcre a few thousandths of an inch larger than the longitudinal dimension. This prevents scoring of the tube at the lines of juncture of the two recesses.

With the exception of the end blocks which, of course, have but one recess 11 formed therein, each of the intermediate blocks has a recess formed in each side face in order that the number of blocks required may be a minimum for the number of tube sizes capable of being clamped. This is made possible by an association of the recesses in inverse order to their relative sizes. Thus, the second block. from the right, as seen in Fig. 1, has for-med therein the largest and smallest recesses. The third block has formed therein the remaining smallest recess and one of the second largest recesses. maining second largest recess and one of the second smallest recesses. This arrangement is continued regardless of the number of blocks" The recesses in abutting faces of the block form; when in abutting relationship} the bores l8 As can clearly be seen in Fig. 3, the bores 58 are generally cylindrical in shape, with the exception of a countersunk portion 19 at the end of each bore. As will be noted from a close inspectionof Fig. 3, the countersunk portions is extend into thebore a dpth'increasingwith the size of the particular bore. For example, the countersunk portion of the largest bore at the right-hand end of'the clamping tool; as see nin Fig.3, is of greater depth than the countersunk portion of the adjoining bore. Each'bore then may be consideredas comprising two parts, the cylindrical portion and the couhtersnnk portion] The arms IQ and H are provided with parallel channels 29. Mounted :up'on' the'clamping means ls'a'fla're gauge 2t having a flat upper portion 22; downwardly extending"- side portions- 23 and portions 24 extending inwardlyinto the channels 20." The portions Mare so fitted into the channels as to permit th flare gauge to slide in the channels'longitudinally of the afrrns'and to permit the flat u per port-kind! to be positioned over any of the bores' Teen-are gauge acts as a stop for a tube inserted in the bore to determine the ex ent to which atub'e sl'iould be inserted in the clamping means; in order to obtain a flare confdrmirig' to SAE standards. The distance from the cylindrical portion ofithe bores to the flare gauge in order to' obtain a proper flare varies, of course'. with the size ofthe tube. This variance isjin theore erred embodiment shown, taken into account by'the various sizes of the countersunk portions l9. It may clearly be seen that the distanc 'from the flare gauge to the beginning of the cylindrical portion of the bores varies for each diameter of bore." In the process of manufa tureythe channels 2!! are milled into the arms and he flare gauge inserted therein, and then the left-hand end of the'channels'ias seen in Fi 'i 2) are closed by deforming the same with a b ow from a hammer ortheliketo prevent the flare. gauge'from sliding on the tool.

The arms land I I extend beyond the last blo k- 'forming a yoke as shown." Pivotally mounted on the yoke by rivet 2 5 is a trunnion 25 having internally threaded portion 2] extending at r ght angles thereironi'. A" wing-bolt 28 is adapted obe threaded into the portion 2? to apply longi udinalclamping force to the blocks. By loosening the bolt grants the end 29 thereof is out of contactwith theiend block; the force applying meansma'y be pivoted at 25 and swung to an inoperativepositionfpermitting "longitu- The fourth block has the re :1

dl'n'aljsl dingoi the'bloclis'f'orjthe insertion of a w tube in the bores. A ftena tub'e has been insert'ed,'the force apnlyingmeans may be swung to its operative position where tightening pithe bolt 28 will cause the end 29"to"e$; ert a clampin force against the end block it may b seen then that I have invented a tube flaring.

slidable parallel clamping means which is light in construction and adapted to clamp a variety of sizes of tubes. I have further provided a flare gauge which is slidable to a position over the end of a bore to provide a stop for a tube inserted therethrough which, by its position in relation to the cylindrical'portion of the bore, limits theextension of a tube beyond the bore to the prop erand necessary distance for forming a flare therein. During the actual flare forming operation, the flare gauge may be slidout oi the way to a position where it does not interfere with th operation or maybe slid out of the way while the tube clamping means isbeing used for purposes other than "Tc'laim as my invention:

1. In a tube working tool a tube clamping means having a tube receiving bore, said clamping means having a guide means formed on one i side thereof extending at right angles to the bore therein, ancta gauge, for indicatin'g the proper degree of insertion of a tube into thebore of; he la p m a da l m a tedgoasa d tube clamping means to be positionable alterna: i r r he bore" onesi e t e ect. sa gauge comprising a main plateportionextending r ht n es w h xisol h a es epen ing s n extending para le wi e axis. the eand means-0n h d ns-sins Pere engaging said guide means.

2.1m. a tube worlri tool, tube clamping means comprising A U131 Withap f para l l sides, apa r of b c .i edrby s d carrier and haying" tribe 1 7 therebetween, at lee t one v dparalle for forcing s guide channel n ea right angles to the !Q a guageffor indicat 12* tion of a tube into t- I I se -we asaia bloc p the proper degree 01 nser e 90 l,

slidably mounted on gmeans to be positionable aiternativelyo thebore or to one side th 'eoi'. said guage comp..sing a main.

plate portion extending at lgh .glefs to the axis of the bore, a dependingpoi tion at each end oi said mainplate, portion extending.vpai'allel with the axis of theborie, enaae mw reiy extendin portion on the fi'ee'end ofeach dpe nding pbrtion slidablyengaging in thefgui 'j 3, In atube wcrki 3 tool, an elongated tube clamping means havn a plurality of tube receiv ing bores cachet a different diameit'eiahd aligned longitudinally of'sa v ing mans o s end Of eachc sa d boreshar tion,saidcountea w withgthefinc' l gui e me 's fori d 021M011 a H V i i a s e eadms a e fina ly h ebiia id at; a r ht ang e. t e x s f, th c e g h 3? s a e 7, ind ca ing e z rs pefiess' m-S tion of a 'tubeinto' a bore 'o'f'the'cla' i a y .me i d n sa d tribe amp c, 01 be, s ism: ov r a sm ars a stop for a'tube insertedtherethrou so positioned spacingthe end 'o'f'the' the'cylindrical portion'oithe selects proper distance i'or farmmg'a fi-are said gauge comp-risin a'rn'ain p tending at a right angle to t s theai' fi er a depending portion extending parallel with the axes of the bores, a ameans'sn the'depending 5 all of the same width supported between said members with one of said blocks fixedly secured between said members at one end, each adjacent side face perpendicular to the general plane of said carrier of each of the intermediate blocks 5 and the inwardly facing side faces of each end 1 block having a generally semi-cylindrical recess formed therein extending perpendicular to the general plane of said carrier, said adjacent faces of said blocks having complementary recesses with the recesses in any one block of different size, said fixed block having a recess of intermediate size, and the successive blocks being formed with recesses of such size that the second and fourth bores considered from the fixed block become successively smaller, and the third and fifth bores become successively larger, and means closing the open end of said carrier operable to provide longitudinal force applied on a line passing through the centers of said recesses urging said blocks to tube gripping position.

GEORGE E. FRANCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 25 Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Holroyd Nov. 21, 1865 Sweet July 16, 1867 Shaefier Mar. 22, 1870 Carroll Oct. 3, 1871 Tuxworth Apr. 13, 1875 Griffin Feb. 6, 1906 Fuller Dec, 18, 1906 Warwick Apr. 14, 1908 Stack 1- July 20, 1915 Beers Apr. 3, 1923 Hirst Mar. 30, 1926 Canny et a1. Dec. 2, 1930 Rosenberg et a1 Mar. 6, 1934 Wilson Dec. 10, 1935 Parker Aug. 3, 1937 Arndt Aug. 24, 1937 Cattoi Aug. 15, 1939 McIntosh May 20, 1941 Neukirch Feb. 20, 1945 Obecny -9 Feb. 11, 19 17 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain May 20, 1873 France Nov. 25, 1920 

